# Real or no :(



## RichB (Nov 25, 2005)

Well today i went to the local cigar store, and picked up my first sampler ever, and first *real* cigar. (non-machine made, besides a few i bummed off my friend)



Can anybody tell if these are authentic by the picture? It was 25.99 for all them... I smoked one, a RyJ (you can see the band on the right) and it gave me a huge nicotine buzz... 



I duno, i'm just worried they are fake or something... the RyJ was ok, good at beginning, but half way through got really strong, kinda bitter, and left me with a huge buzz... I had to run and get food in my stomach so it settled down some.. 

The owner of the cigar shop made them sound pretty authentic.


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## jgros001 (Jun 14, 2005)

Cubans? In a shop in Illinois? My first guess would be fake but the picture is blurry and cannot see the bands or caps very well. I am no expert but have not heard many good experiences about getting cubans from a cigar shop in the US.


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

No reputable cigar store would sell an illegal product.


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## SeanGAR (Jul 9, 2004)

RichB said:


> The owner of the cigar shop made them sound pretty authentic.


That price at that location ... no way jose.

26 bucks for 5 cubans would get you short smokes in big-name brands. I can't tell because the pictures are so bad, but they don't look like small cigars. I CAN tell, however, that the dog is real.


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## Thurm15 (Jan 28, 2005)

Yes, They do appear to be real Cigars.


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## RichB (Nov 25, 2005)

yeah, sorry about the pics they are with my cell, cause i dont have a digi. I kinda figured they would end up not real cubans... but whatever, 26 dollars for 5 cigars isnt horrible iguess..


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

Cigars are probably fake Rich. On the plus side, you have a good looking dog.


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## Jsabbi01 (Feb 24, 2005)

We all make mistakes, just don't make the same mistake twice. If you enjoy the cigars then they are worth it, but I would rather not give my money to a business who is faking illegal cigars regardless of how much I liked the cigars.


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## jgros001 (Jun 14, 2005)

RichB said:


> yeah, sorry about the pics they are with my cell, cause i dont have a digi. I kinda figured they would end up not real cubans... but whatever, 26 dollars for 5 cigars isnt horrible iguess..


 A $26 mistake is much better than a $300 mistake. The cigar did not sound to bad...good for taking the dog for a walk.


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## bigALemos (Jun 1, 2005)

well when i visited chicago about a month ago, me and my buddies found a liquor stor that had cubans under that table, we got some montey churchills LE's from 2001, they were amazing! but the did cost 20 bucks a pop, so i'm not sure that they're real because of the price, but then again the only way ot tell is to smoke em.


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## RichB (Nov 25, 2005)

I don't really have any complaints about the cigar, except for it mighta been stronger then i wanted for the last 3rd, and had a kinda bitter finish. Besides that it was a good smoke... did have a pretty bad after taste though. 

sitting out on the poarch for a hour to smoke a cigar in 10 degree weather on the other hand... lol


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## FunkyPorcini (Jan 13, 2005)

Do not smoke the dog.

If it makes you feel any better my first spin around the block was spending $50 on a PSD4 and a Bolivar recommended by the vendor in Canada. Both fake.


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## RichB (Nov 25, 2005)

Oh, if anybody was curious, my dog is a pure-bread black lab... he's a good dog, can get into a bunch of crap if i dont put it up though... hah.


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## steve12553 (Sep 25, 2005)

Did the vendor actually say they were Cuban or did he just hint?


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

bigALemos said:


> well when i visited chicago about a month ago, me and my buddies found a liquor stor that had cubans under that table, we got some montey churchills LE's from 2001, they were amazing! but the did cost 20 bucks a pop, so i'm not sure that they're real because of the price, but then again the only way ot tell is to smoke em.


 :r Thanx Al, I needed a good laugh.


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## RichB (Nov 25, 2005)

steve12553 said:


> Did the vendor actually say they were Cuban or did he just hint?


No, i just got the impression from the cigars, and the thing on the box... the labal thing or whatever. He didn't say they were or weren't, just that they were good beginner cigars, and that they were a good sampler. When i said he made it sound like they were athentic i just ment he didnt say anything bad, or subjective about them to make me think that. I got the impression they were cubans from pictures in the cuban section, ect.


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## ltworf (Nov 10, 2005)

i'm from IL...where about are you from? what shop was it?

-George


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## RichB (Nov 25, 2005)

ltworf said:


> i'm from IL...where about are you from? what shop was it?
> 
> -George


Palos tabacco, or something liek that... In palos heights. If your around there, i work at baker square right in that strip mall lol


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## RPB67 (Mar 26, 2005)

No real cigar store would want to risk its license to sell tobacco by seeling Cubans.

I would have to bet them as to being fakes.

But if they taste good and you know they are fakes. Enjoy.

Sometimes you have to say what the f#$k.


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## Xmodius (Jun 21, 2005)

They might be real non-Cubans. If they are non-Cubans then they are probably real.

I have learned to never buy 'Cuban' cigars from anyone in the U.S.


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## Stogiefanatic182 (Oct 28, 2005)

26 bucks for 5 "real" Cubans seems really cheap to me, to good to be true


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## RichB (Nov 25, 2005)

I'm still new to smoking, and they say "Habana, cuba" on the wraps... does that mean they are from cuba, and/or fakes? (That's kinda what gave me the indication that they were either fake, or real) Or do NA smokes have that printed on the wraps too?


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## Blueface (May 28, 2005)

Xmodius said:


> They might be real non-Cubans. If they are non-Cubans then they are probably real.
> 
> I have learned to never buy 'Cuban' cigars from anyone in the U.S.


Ditto.


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## One Lonely Smoker (Jan 21, 2005)

The ring gauge on all appears to be the same, making the Montecristo the odd-man out, as they do not make a cigar in that RG. So that to me sheds a shadow on the entire pack. Then the price, then the consistently colored ash. White is not always a bad indicator, but usually something that consistent is. Most habanos are very mottled through in shades of gray in the ash. BUT we all have been desparate for havanas at one time or another, and soetimes we do dumb things. Dumber, we often talk ourselves into thinking they taste pretty good.


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## Xmodius (Jun 21, 2005)

Paraphrasing:

"95% of 'Cuban' cigars in the U.S. are fake."


Some of the other 5% might be with people who have taken some time and effort, made some inquiries and trades, done a lot of reading and 'listening', built up a network of educational mentors....ok I'll quit.


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## RichB (Nov 25, 2005)

3 more crappy pics.


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

Fake. No habanos sticker on the corner. Even the crappy cardboard packs I get have 'em. On the bright side, it's only 26 bucks


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## Xmodius (Jun 21, 2005)

Is that or is that supposed to be one of the Seleccion vitola samplers?

And, more importantly, I hope you enjoy them. If they taste good then they are good. The nicotine buzz doesn't mean they're not good. I like that part but not if I get nauseated. :w


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## ltworf (Nov 10, 2005)

now that we have seen that photo i can DEFINITELY confirm that they are fake. i almost want to drive up to palos to have words with that cigars shop...what an ass :gn 

moreover, i think u should go and get your money back. It is illegal for him to be selling counterfit cuban cigars. Even if these were enjoyable, you never know what is in a fake :BS I've seen banana leaves in one before!

If you want to make your way up to Wheaton/Naperville, let me know...i think i have a cigar or 2 that i would like to share =)


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## RichB (Nov 25, 2005)

Maybe when the snow's gone I'll head up there sometime. My car is complete sh~t in the snow. But you ever need some good pie, stop in on one of the days i'm workin.  

And i'm not gonna go throug the hwole hassle of complaining and everything, i'm only 17, and we all learn by our mistakes i guess, and this is my first n00b mistake since i just started smoking cigars anywho...


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## ComicBookFreak (Sep 7, 2005)

One Lonely Smoker said:


> Then the price, then the consistently colored ash. White is not always a bad indicator, but usually something that consistent is. Most habanos are very mottled through in shades of gray in the ash.


I was thinking the same about the ash. It sure did look really white in the first pics. Sorry about the fakes live and learn.

CBF :w


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## vic_c (Sep 7, 2005)

They are 100% fake...missing the "Habanos" corner sticker and the government seal is positioned wrong. Could have been worse though money wise! :z :gn


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## cazadore (Jan 1, 2000)

RichB said:


> Maybe when the snow's gone I'll head up there sometime. My car is complete sh~t in the snow. But you ever need some good pie, stop in on one of the days i'm workin.
> 
> And i'm not gonna go throug the hwole hassle of complaining and everything, i'm only 17, and we all learn by our mistakes i guess, and this is my first n00b mistake since i just started smoking cigars anywho...


*17?!?!*
Do your parents know you smoke? 

Shouldn't you be out street racing, snowboarding, chasing girls and getting laid or doing your homework, you know, typical 17-year-old stuff instead of getting taken advantage of by some unscrupulous cigar shop?

Just askin'.


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## ltworf (Nov 10, 2005)

RichB said:


> Maybe when the snow's gone I'll head up there sometime. My car is complete sh~t in the snow. But you ever need some good pie, stop in on one of the days i'm workin.
> 
> And i'm not gonna go throug the hwole hassle of complaining and everything, i'm only 17, and we all learn by our mistakes i guess, and this is my first n00b mistake since i just started smoking cigars anywho...


hey man,
if this guy is selling to you underage then i guess you have nothing to worry about. This guy sure is a piece of :BS 
i say get back to work, try hard in school, don't waste your money on tabacco now. enjoy the other things you can be doing. Also, not worth it for you to get busted smoking.


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## RJT (Feb 12, 2005)

ltworf said:


> hey man,
> if this guy is selling to you underage then i guess you have nothing to worry about. This guy sure is a piece of :BS
> i say get back to work, try hard in school, don't waste your money on tabacco now. enjoy the other things you can be doing. Also, not worth it for you to get busted smoking.


I agree with you on this one. This "shop owner" is a piece of work. First he is pushing fake Cubans in the US and also selling to underage people. Someone should report his butt to the proper athorities. As far as being fake...yes from what I see yes the ash alone is a dead give away by being so white in color. JMO, RJT


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## Blueface (May 28, 2005)

Man this stinks.
Add me to the list of those that want to go to Illinois and kick the crap out of this a..hole vendor.
Aside from being illegal to sell ISOM's (which he didn't do anyway as they are not), he sold to a minor without proofing?
ATF should be all over this idiot vendor.
I hate to see folks taken for fakes.
This is why you often time see people saying ISOMs suck. It is because they got garbage to begin with.


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## horrorview (Jan 27, 2005)

We need to send Icehog in there pronto!! He'll scare the guy to death with his pythons of doom!!! :r


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## RichB (Nov 25, 2005)

Not trying to stick up for the vender, but not many people believe me, let alone think, i'm under the age of 18 if you were to see me. It is *very* normal for people to think i'm over 20.


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